C E R T A L E R T

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ADVISORY  * CAUTIONARY  *  NON-DIRECTIVE

AIRPORT SAFETY AND OPERATIONS DIVISION  AAS-300
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DATE:		08 JANUARY 2002                                                              NO. 02-01

TO:		AIRPORT CERTIFICATION SAFETY INSPECTORS

TOPIC:	AIRCRAFT DEPARTING/LANDING ON CLOSED RUNWAYS
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Background:
There have been an increasing number of events where aircraft have attempted to land or take off on a closed runway.  In particular, a Boeing 747-400 was cleared for takeoff during a driving rainstorm and departed from the wrong runway that was closed for construction.  As the result, the aircraft struck jersey barriers and construction equipment, resulting in 82 fatalities. In other incidents, aircraft have landed and departed closed runways with contractor and airport personnel still on the runway.  In several of these instances, the airport operator had issued a NOTAM about the runway closure.  As a result, FAA is issuing this CertAlert as a reminder to airport operators of requirements for marking and lighting a closed runway and procedures for coordinating and notifying airport users of such closures. 

Action:
Coordination and Notification - Runway closures should be planned and coordinated at the earliest stages possible.  This includes coordination with airport users, including FAA Airway Facilities and Tower personnel, FBOs and tenants, aircraft rescue and fire fighters, and outside interests such as mutual aid

If the closure is for a construction project, bid documents should contain a section on safety on airports during construction, and a safety plan should be developed. This plan should include detailed information on closed runway markings and notification procedures, such as NOTAMs, as prescribed in AC 150/5370-2, Operational Safety on Airports During Construction. 

For temporary maintenance closures, airport operators should develop standard operating procedures that include notification of airport users (who, what, where and when), markings, and general safety guidelines (situational awareness, lock-out procedures, etc.).  

Marking - Closed runway markings consist of a yellow “X” in compliance with the standards of AC 150/5340-1, Standards for Airport Markings. A very effective and preferable visual aid to depict temporary closure is a lighted “X” signal. This device is much more discernible to approaching aircraft than the other material described in this paragraph. The lighted “X” should be placed on or near the runway designation numbers. 

If the lighted “X” is not available, any of the following materials may be used: double-layered painted snow fence, colored plastic, painted sheets of plywood, or similar materials. They must be properly configured and secured to prevent movement by prop wash, jet blast, or other wind currents. In addition, airport operators should barricade or activate stop bars at major entrances to runways to prevent aircraft from entering closed portions. 

While barricading the full width of all taxiways that enter runways may be time consuming and impractical (especially for closures of short duration), FAA recommends that the airport operator barricade, at a minimum, those taxiways where an aircraft intending to takeoff might access the runway.  The placement of even a single reflective barricade with a “do not enter” sign on a taxiway centerline can effectively prevent an aircraft from continuing onto a closed runway. Barricades should be highly reflective, lighted, not confusing and should cause only minimal damage if struck by an aircraft.

Lighting - The proper lighting configurations should be in place to depict the closed/open portions of the runway. Edge and threshold lights with associated isolation transformers on that portion of the runway that is closed should be disconnected.  Alternatively, the light fixtures may be covered in such a way as to prevent light leakage. If the entire runway is closed, proper electrical lockout and tagging procedures should be used to prevent the closed runway’s lights from being accidentally activated.  This is important when multiple maintenance shifts/workers are involved. This not only helps prevent pilots from landing on a closed runway but also protects contractor personnel who may be working on the circuitry or other electrical equipment.

For more information, please contact Winsome Lenfert, AAS-310, at 202-267-8729.

___________OSB__________________                             January 8, 2002 
   Benedict D. Castellano, Manager                                                Date
Airport Safety and Operations Division

DISTRIBUTION:  CERTALERT Distribution List